Health and Fitness Articles For Students

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Exercise and Fitness

Health and Fitness Articles For Students Exercising regularly, preferably every day, is very important for your health. In the short term, exercise controls your appetite, improves your mood, and improves your sleep. In the long term, it cuts the risk of heart ailment, stroke, diabetes, dementia, depression, then several cancers.

Why is exercise important for older adults? Whether you used to be more active or you've never been more active, now is a good time to start exercising and getting fit. Staying healthy is just as important for older adults as it is for younger people.

By getting your heart rate up and challenging your muscles, exercise has a positive effect on almost every system in your body, improving your physical and mental health. Physical activity helps maintain healthy blood pressure, prevents harmful plaque from building up in your arteries, reduces inflammation, improves blood sugar levels, strengthens your bones, and prevents depression. In addition, regular exercise improves your sex life, improves your sleep quality, reduces the risk of some cancers, and may even increase your life expectancy.

Many older adults are hesitant to start exercising because they don't know what kind of exercise is effective and safe, and they don't know how much they should exercise. However, any exercise is better than sitting, so it's important to start small and accumulate your exercise. The goal is to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week, but you don't have to reach that level right away. It's okay to increase it little by little. There are many exercise programs for adults, but it's important to move your body daily by climbing stairs, working in the yard, playing with your grandchildren, etc.

When older people start exercising, they can do so without consulting a doctor in most cases, but there are exceptions. If you have serious health problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, lung disease, osteoporosis, or neurological disorders, you should always consult a doctor. You should also get medical advice if you have balance problems or mobility disorders such as arthritis.

What kind of exercise is best?

There are many types of exercise, health and fitness articles for students, but experts divide exercise into four major types based on the effect of exercise on the body and what kind of exercise suits you.

Aerobic exercise is an exercise that increases your heart rate. Aerobic exercise often works the whole body, but especially the heart and lungs (aerobic exercise is also called "cardio" because it strengthens the heart and blood vessels). Walking, swimming, dancing, cycling, etc., at an intensity that makes you a little out of breath, makes you breathe faster, and makes your heart work harder. Aerobic exercise can burn fat, improve your mood, reduce inflammation, and lower blood sugar levels.

Strength training (also called resistance training) is recommended 2-3 times a week. Squats, lunges, push-ups, and exercises using specialized equipment, weights, and bands can help maintain and strengthen muscles. Strength training can also help prevent falls, strengthen bones, lower blood sugar levels, and improve balance.

Some exercises build muscle that are done while you are stationary and those are done while you are moving. Exercises that are done while you are stationary, such as planks and leg raises, are called isometric exercises. This is effective for maintaining muscle strength and stabilizing the body. On the other hand, exercises that involve moving the body, such as bending and straightening the arms, bench presses, and sit-ups, are called isotonic exercises.

Stretching keeps muscles and tendons flexible, improves posture, and helps maintain mobility, especially as we age. Stretching can be done daily.

Balance exercises train the various functions the body uses to balance, including the inner ear, eyesight, muscles, and joints. Tai chi and yoga are excellent balance exercises that can help prevent falls and help you live an independent life as you age.

How much exercise should I do?

The amount of exercise depends on your current physical fitness, your exercise goals, the type of exercise you choose, and whether you have any weaknesses in strength, flexibility, or balance.

As a general guideline, it is recommended that you do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise (or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise) per week. If you want to be even healthier, you can do more than this. A natural way to split up the 150 minutes is to do 30 minutes of exercise 5 times a week. Or you can do 15 minutes of exercise twice a day. Work out according to a schedule that suits your life.

For strength training, work the major muscles of your body 2-3 times a week, with 48 hours of rest between workouts. If you are working your whole body, 2 times a week is enough. If you split your workouts and work out specific muscles (e.g. "leg day"), you will want to train more commonly. However, if you are working the same muscles, make sure you take 48 hours of rest between them.

If you have balance problems such as lightheadedness, dizziness, or vertigo, consult your doctor for advice on exercises that will improve your balance. Besides 30 minutes of training 3 times a week, you should walk for 30 minutes at least twice a week.

Stretching is best done after a few minutes of warming up and after you have finished exercising. When stretching your muscles, do it slowly, comfortably, and with a relaxed attitude.

But don't overdo it. You may feel sore after exercise, especially when you first start. But if you feel like your body isn't recovering between sessions, you may be exercising too much. Remember that older people take longer to recover than younger people. Sore muscles are unavoidable, but exercise should make you feel good. If not, you may be exercising too much.

This doesn't mean you should stop exercising. It just means you need to adjust the intensity and frequency of your exercise until your body is completely exhausted and recovered enough to be willing to do the next session.

What are the benefits of exercise?

A well-designed exercise program has many positive effects on the body and mind.

Many studies have shown that exercise is good for mental health. For example, one comprehensive study found that people who are less physically active are more likely to develop depression. Another study found that people with mild-to-moderate depression benefited from just 90 minutes of exercise each week, as much as taking medication. This is thought to be because exercise produces brain chemicals (such as serotonin and dopamine) that improve mood and reduce stress.

It is well known that exercise is good for the health of the heart and blood vessels. So how does exercise lower blood pressure? Interestingly, when you exercise with aerobic exercise, your blood pressure temporarily rises, but after the exercise, your blood pressure is lower than before the exercise.

Many people think that exercise is necessary to lose weight. This is not wrong, as diet is also important. So, what kind of exercise burns the most calories? Aerobic exercise (cardio) is effective at burning calories and reducing fat. However, strength training, which builds muscle and reduces fat, is also important (it's also great for strengthening bones).

The best exercise for weight loss is different for each person. The best exercise is one that you can continue. Exercise that raises your heart rate and moves your body (exercise that you can continue to enjoy) will help you lose weight.

What if I can't exercise much?

Even if you are physically disabled, you should exercise as much as you can. Experts are considering exercises for older adults that are low-impact, safe, and can be done while sitting.

To prevent falls, the elderly can do balance exercises using a chair or door. For example, stand behind a chair, use the chair as support, raise one leg to the height of the calf of the other leg, and tighten your stomach. As you get used to it, hold the chair with one hand and eventually let go.

Exercises to train the core can also be adjusted to suit your physical condition. For example, in a regular plank, only your arms and toes are on the floor, keeping your body parallel to the floor. An even easier way is to place your knees on the floor as well. An even easier way is to do a plank while standing and leaning forward. Place your elbows and arms on a desk or wall, support your body with your toes, and straighten your back.

There are various ways to stretch according to your physical condition. If it is difficult to crawl on all fours, try lying on your back and stretching your arms and legs to stretch your whole body. You can also stretch by stretching your arms over your head and turning your neck while sitting.

Some exercises can be done while sitting. Chair exercises for seniors include bicep exercises (using weights or rubber bands), overhead weights, shoulder exercises, calf raises, sit-to-stand exercises, and knee extensions.

What is the best exercise for heart health?

The best exercise program combines aerobic and strength training. It is the best way to strengthen the whole body, increase endurance, and maintain long-term health. However, if your primary goal is to improve your heart and vascular health, you should emphasize aerobic exercise, which keeps your heart and lungs working hard and oxygenates your cells. While strength training also has cardiovascular benefits, aerobic exercise is excellent for lowering blood pressure, keeping the lining of blood vessels healthy, releasing enzymes that dissolve blood clots, and building new blood vessels to feed the heart.

Regular aerobic exercise significantly reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Diabetes is not often thought of as a heart problem, but high blood sugar levels hurt blood vessels and the nerves that regulate the heart, so lowering your risk of diabetes also lowers your risk of heart disease. Exercise encourages your body's cells to take up glucose (sugar) from the blood. It does this by increasing the effects of insulin, a hormone needed to metabolize glucose. This means your cells are more susceptible to the effects of insulin long after exercise has ended. And because obesity is a big risk for diabetes, exercise, especially if it helps you lose fat around your belly, can help prevent diabetes.